Sub-Theme 2: People: Championing community-led conservation initiatives

There is a growing consensus worldwide that to be effective, wildlife conservation should not exclude but rather embrace the human dimension. This is particularly so for the rural local communities living directly at the protected area interface, thus expected to be the first level wildlife custodians. Multiple models seeking to engage local communities in supporting wildlife conservation have now been tested across Africa but with mixed results. This theme will revisit best practices in this regard and explore mechanisms for their replication and wider application for enhanced wildlife conservation in Africa.

• Promoting enabling policy options for successful CBNRM initiatives
• Building effective capacities for sustaining community-led Wildlife Conservation
• Strengthening the participation of women and the youth in community-based wildlife conservation
• Optimizing the application of effective CBNRM models in Africa
• Promoting Human-Wildlife co-existence